MEAP: Local students excel in reading, lag in science

Wednesday

Mar 5, 2014 at 12:05 PM

By Lisa.Ermak@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4219

As administrators and teachers review the recently released MEAP scores, they’re also beginning to prepare for next year’s challenge — figuring out what test students will take next school year."We don’t really know what to predict because we don’t know specifically what the test is," Patti Dobias said, Holland’s director of school improvement.The MEAP, which is given to third- through ninth-graders in October is based on state education standards and has been the only common measure given statewide to students.Plans call for a new test to be fully rolled out in early 2015 that, according to the Michigan Department of Education, would offer online testing availability, a measurement of student academic growth and alignment with the state standards.Details of the new test have not been released, but Don Wotruba, spokesman for the Michigan Association of School Boards, said almost all districts are anticipating the Smarter Balanced assessments will be adopted. The Smarter Balanced assessments are computer-adaptive tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards and some experts say the test will do a better job of assessing how students can analyze data, conduct research and back up their answers with concrete data."We have to know how to prepare our kids," said Kent Henson, West Ottawa’s assistant superintendent for instructional services. "Our target for next year for assessment is hopefully going to be related to the Common Core standards. It’s just kind of frustrating now knowing what the target is."This year’s MEAP scores tested students’ skills learned through the end of the previous year. The MEAP tests math and reading in grades three through eight, science in grades five and eight, social studies in grades six and nine and writing in grades four and seven.Among the 18 components of the MEAP, students from Holland improved in 10 of them compared to last year while West Ottawa students improved in 13 and Zeeland in 12.Proficiency scores among the three districts were highest in reading. Sixty-six percent of Holland fifth-graders passed the test, as did 80 percent of West Ottawa and Holland fifth-graders.Scores were lowest in science. Ten percent of Holland eighth-graders and 19 percent of West Ottawa eighth-graders passed the science test. At Zeeland, 19 percent of fifth-graders passed the science portion."Specifically, science scores were our weakest area, but by comparison, such results are true at the state level as well," Zeeland spokeswoman Ginger Smith said. "We are approximately 2 percent higher than the state proficiency for science."Holland’s Dobias said her staff knows they have room to improve, but in general said Holland had more upticks than down this year."Reading is a much stronger area than math or science; however, in math in every grade level we saw growth this year from last year."Despite not knowing the direction testing will take next year, districts are focused on reviewing their MEAP results and making curriculum adjustments."We keep teaching every day and our teachers are using formative assessment to figure out where their kids are," Henson said. "We’re always working on improving our instruction so we can improve our student learning. That’s day to day what we do."— Follow this reporter on Twitter @SentinelLisa.